AFP Member Spotlight: Chantelle Funk, Development Officer, Special Events, BC Cancer Foundation

September 19, 2018

Chantelle Funk was born in Saskatoon, raised in Calgary and continued her westward trek to her current home in West Kelowna, B.C., in 2008. Starting with AFP as a member of the Calgary Chapter, she then united her local fundraising community together to start the AFP Okanagan Chapter in 2014 where she continues as an active member. Chantelle has worked as a development officer for the BC Cancer Foundation for the last seven years and was a charter member of the West Kelowna Daybreak Rotary Club, still serving on their board of directors. A wife of 19 years and mother of two boys, she enjoys running, reading and, in support of the local economy, fine Okanagan wine.

Name: Chantelle Funk

Years working and/or volunteering in the nonprofit sector: 18 years

What was your first job in the sector?

My first step into fundraising came in the year 2000 when I joined Bow Valley College as they transitioned from a private government institution to a public college. I was part of the team that created the development team and their first campaign.

What do you see as current challenges for our sector?

Balancing stewardship expectations! As the avenues to communicate increase, so do the needs of our amazing supporters in how we should connect with them. We can no longer follow a standard step-by-step process of: phone call – thank you card – face-to-face – donor wall – recognition dinner – repeat. With the increase of opportunities provided by technology and social media, the variety and possibilities of touch points is endless. It differs from donor to donor and has the possibility of being much more fun than I have seen it in the past.

Describe a memorable #donorlove moment:

All the hugs! I'm not normally an overly "huggy" person yet I find that I connect easily and on a deep level with our community event organizers. The instant connection and shared purpose that I share with our volunteers results in, well...hugs!

How important is mentoring to the nonprofit sector and/or to you personally?

Mentorship in life and work is part of the way we stay a functioning society. The mentor has the joy of sharing their hard-earned advice and life-taught secrets while the mentee feels heard and supported and receives wisdom. It is an essential part of our life. Specifically as fundraisers, I feel this field has evolved and grown through self-teaching more than anything.

How do you define leadership?

Leadership is when you are just as proud of your team as they are of being on your team.

Recommendations for professional development reading:

Find a blog or a podcast that makes you laugh.